MY SCHOOL, Dr .Nilesh Gopal das Joshi [best free ebook reader for pc txt] 📗

cultural activities within the

school, including, for example, sports days and drama or musical events.

Assisting with or organising fund-raising events for charity

Student Councils can organise events both within the school and involving the wider community, forthe purposes of raising money for designated charities.

Liaising with Student Councils in other schools

It may be useful for a Student Council to liase with Student Councils in other schools, particularly in theorganisation of sporting and cultural activities and when fund-raising for charity. An existing StudentCouncil could have a useful role in helping and advising a newly formed Student Council in anotherschool.

GUIDELINES FOR BOARDS OF MANAGEMENT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DISSOLUTION OF STUDENT COUNCILS

Establishing a Student Council

Where students in a school notify the Board of Management that they wish to establish a Student

Council, the Board of Management should provide them, in a timely manner, with a copy of the rules ithas drawn up in accordance with these guidelines.Where students have not yet taken the initiative to establish a Student Council, the Board ofManagement acting through the school Principal and teaching staff shall encourage, facilitate and assiststudents in doing so.

Nominations and Elections

The Board of Management, or the Principal acting on its behalf, should set a date for the election ofrepresentative(s) to the Student Council.

All students in each class or year group having a representative on the Student Council should be

entitled to stand for election to the Council. A Board of Management may, at its discretion, make provision for the Principal or relevant teacher toveto a nomination. As such a right should be exercised with caution and only in exceptional cases, theBoard of Management in its rules should clearly state the circumstances in which any veto may be used.

Nominations for election should be made within a reasonable period before the election as specified bythe Board.Voting may take place during class time, break or after school. The holding of elections during class timeis at the discretion of the Board of Management or Principal as the case may be, having regard to theviews of the staff of the school.

All voting should take place by secret ballot.The counting of votes should take place under the supervision of a member of the staff of the school ora representative of the Board of Management or a parent designated for this purpose. In the case of

junior cycle classes, provision may be made for senior cycle students to supervise the counting of votes.

First meeting

The Board of Management should provide in its rules for the convening, by the Principal or a

designated member of staff, of the first meeting of each newly formed Council. The first meeting of anewly formed Council should take place early in the school year or as soon as possible after theconclusion of the elections throughout the school. In general, where elections take place at the start ofthe school year, the first meeting of the Council should be held within 3-4 school weeks of the election.

Constitution

The Student Council may make rules governing its meetings and the business and conduct of its affairs,but it shall consult with the Board of Management before doing so. Such rules may include the drawingup of a Constitution. Where a Student Council does not already have a constitution in place, it shouldbe encouraged to draw one up.

 Dissolution of a Student Council

The Board of Management rules will provide for the dissolution of a Student Council where the

Council’s term has expired or, in exceptional circumstances, before the expiry of its term. The rulesdrawn up by the Board should state clearly the grounds on which the Board may consider dissolvingthe Student Council before the expiry of its term of office. Dissolution should happen only in specifiedcircumstances and on grounds of a significantly serious nature, such as:

where a significant number of the Council members have been involved in a serious breach of theschool’s code of behaviour where serious irregularities have occurred in the election of the Council where the activities of the Council have endangered the welfare of staff or students of the school where serious financial irregularities have occurred

Where a Board is considering the dissolution of the Council before the due date, the Board should seekthe views of the staff of the school and the Parents’ Association prior to making a decision. Adequatenotice should be given to the Council, and the reasons for the dissolution clearly explained. TheStudent Council should be given the opportunity to appeal the decision to the Board of Managementor patron, in accordance with established local appeals procedures.

Chapter: 17 TIMETABLE

TIMETABLE

A timetable is in fact the second clock of the school, on the face of which are shown, the hours of the day of school work, the kind of activity for each class, the number and length of periods, the interval, the morning assembly, time for games, library and recreation, teacher wise work allotment, etc.

 

Definitions of Timetable

In the words of H. G. Stead: “It is the timetable that supplies the framework within which the work of the school proceeds. It is the instrument through which the purpose of the school is to function”. In the words of Edmonson: “The timetable is an outline of the day’s work which indicates: Time of beginning and ending of school day; Time of beginning and ending of each class period; activities period and homework period; Subjects and activities offered; Room in which class or activity is held; and Time, length and number of intermissions.”

The school time-table is a methodical and pre-arranged scheme of studies and activities. It is an outline of the day’s work which indicates:

Time of beginning and ending of school day; Time of beginning and ending of each class period, activities period and home work period; Subjects and activities offered; Days on which each class and each activity meetings are held; Name of teacher-in-charge of each class or activity; Room in which class or activity meets and Time, length and month of intermissions.

Importance of Timetable

Timetable is a necessary instrument and document for the efficient working of a school. The main points of its importance are discussed here;

Imparts system to the school

Without a timetable, the functioning of a school will be unsystematic. There will be a confusion, chaos and clash all around. There will be no programme before the teachers and the students. Absence of a time table will make it a free for all affair. Time table assigns work, place and time for everything and for everybody.

Prevents wastage of time and energy

It makes proper distribution of time among the different activities at the school, instructional as well as non-instructional. It directs everybody’s energy and attention to one thing at a time. The time is proportionately allotted and no part of it remains vacant to be wasted. The distribution of energy is also made in such a manner that maximum benefit is drawn out of it.

Ensures due attention to every subject or activity

Every subject and activity get its due share in the total duration available. No area gets neglected and no area gets undue amount of time.The importance and nature of subjects and activities can be kept in mind while making the allocation of time and place.

Ensures smooth and orderly working of the school

As discussed above, it imparts system to the school. This system further ensures its smooth and orderly working. Everything is planned and notified in advance. The students know beforehand what they are going to read or do in different periods and also the teachers who will meet them. Likewise the teachers know their classes and come prepared with the lessons. There will be no scope for negligence of duty, duplication of effort and repetition of items and activities.

Ensures efficiency

The timetable places proper person at proper places at the proper time and in the proper

             manner.There are no delays and no wastages.

Ensures equitable distribution of work among teachers

The timetable ensures equitable workload for the teachers. Any misdistribution can be detected and checked easily. No one can complain of too heavy work allotment and no one can enjoy too light allocation.

Ensures judicious allotment of work

The teachers are assigned only those subjects and activities in which they are fully equipped and interested.

Ensures regular and even progress

Timetable provides regular time for all the subjects and activities according to their importance and difficulty. It leads to regular and balanced progress. There is no laxity and imbalance of work.

Develops moral and ethical values

It helps everybody to acquire habits of regularity and punctuality, steadiness of purpose, orderliness, and sense of responsibility. It develops a methodical, purposeful and honest attitude towards work. This is the secret of success in education and life.

Helps in maintaining discipline

It keeps the student gainfully busy in desirable activities. Student finds no time to loiter about. They do not remain idle to think and act in the wrong directions. When everybody is kept busy, there is no problem of indiscipline to arise.

Helps in adjusting the work according to the needs of the pupils

The work is planned and adjusted according to the physiological and psychological needs of the pupil. The questions of freshness of mind, fatigue, monotony, motivation, interests are given due consideration at the time of constructing a time table.

Satisfies psychological considerations

Apart from satisfying the above mentioned needs of the pupil, the timetable gives a psychological orientation to the entire school programme. It stimulates the students and teachers from the opening till the closing time. It gives them satisfaction about the purpose of schooling. The time table ensures happiness and pleasure in learning. The changes from teacher to teacher, period to period, subject to subject, place to place, activity to activity are planned and adjusted in such a manner which brings motivation, relief, stimulation and urge to learn.

Necessitates advance planning

This puts the teacher and students on the way to advance planning and preparation for various process and activities.

 

Principles of a Good Timetable

The time table aims at achieving economy, convenience and uniformity. It is not an easy task to frame a good time table. A number of considerations have to be taken into account in its construction, therefore it is a very complex task. Certain principles are to be kept in view while framing a time table:

Type of school

There are various types of schools, like, elementary, secondary, rural, urban, boys, girls etc. in which the facilities and activities differ. There are also single shift and double shift schools. The time table will be framed in order to meet the typical needs and circumstances of the schools concerned. The same time table cannot be thrust upon all types of schools.

The double shift will call for shortening of the duration of school hours. Single teacher arrangement demands a special time table which may enable one teacher to keep four or five different classes occupied. In secondary schools, the length of the periods can be longer than in elementary schools. In model schools, more provision has to be made for games and other activities.

Departmental regulations

Usually, the State Department of Education issues direction for time table construction. It fixes the length of the school year, the duration of the school day, the total number of periods per day and the number of periods per week for each subject. Also, the time for the morning assembly, recess and games is also fixed. It is obligatory on the schools to obey these regulations and maintain uniformity in the outline of the school time table throughout the state.

Amount of time available

The allotment of time to different subjects